G
Guns Guns Guns
Guest
The simple fact is that there has not been a bipartisan compromise that included higher tax revenues since 1990, and only two bipartisan deficit reduction bills in that period.
In the 1980s, Republicans and Democrats routinely compromised on deficit reduction bills, and all of them included tax increases. That happened in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987.
Those bills were passed with the support of moderate Republicans in Congress who cared about fiscal responsibility. And all of those bills were signed by President Reagan, the man routinely hailed as the father of the conservative revolution.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush broke his "no new taxes" campaign pledge and compromised with Democrats to cut spending and increase taxes--exactly the same thing that Reagan did repeatedly.
This time, though, he was undercut by Newt Gingrich and his new conservative opposition movement.
This back-bench revolt and the loss of the presidency in 1992 convinced Republicans that the best way to regain power was to take an absolutely inflexible line on taxes--a line that has been enforced ever since by Gingrich, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay, Eric Cantor, and the increasingly well-funded anti-tax pressure groups.
In 1993, Democrats passed a deficit reduction bill, including both tax increases and spending cuts in roughly equal measure, with no Republican votes. (Vice President Al Gore had to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.)
In 1997, President Clinton and Gingrich negotiated a deficit reduction bill, but it followed Republican lines: tax cuts and spending cuts. Clinton was willing to go along with the tax cuts because he wanted to make balancing the budget his presidential legacy.
We had major tax cuts in 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2010, each time with at least modest support on both sides of the aisle. Last summer's debt ceiling compromise was the only significant deficit reduction bill in the past fifteen years, and it also followed Republican lines: all spending cuts and no tax increases.
While many observers have focused on the rise of evangelical Protestants and so-called social issues, the Republican Party was really captured by anti-tax zealots.
As Speaker of the House in the 1990s, Gingrich changed caucus rules to reward ideological purity and the ability to raise money, which increased the influence of deep-pocketed contributors who care primarily about maximizing their take-home income.
The Tea Party has only reinforced the prohibition on Republicans who are willing to even consider tax increases.
Which brings us to today.
No plan to reduce the national debt that includes tax increases ...
http://www.theatlantic.com/business...killed-deficit-reduction-for-the-year/255324/
In the 1980s, Republicans and Democrats routinely compromised on deficit reduction bills, and all of them included tax increases. That happened in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987.
Those bills were passed with the support of moderate Republicans in Congress who cared about fiscal responsibility. And all of those bills were signed by President Reagan, the man routinely hailed as the father of the conservative revolution.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush broke his "no new taxes" campaign pledge and compromised with Democrats to cut spending and increase taxes--exactly the same thing that Reagan did repeatedly.
This time, though, he was undercut by Newt Gingrich and his new conservative opposition movement.
This back-bench revolt and the loss of the presidency in 1992 convinced Republicans that the best way to regain power was to take an absolutely inflexible line on taxes--a line that has been enforced ever since by Gingrich, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay, Eric Cantor, and the increasingly well-funded anti-tax pressure groups.
In 1993, Democrats passed a deficit reduction bill, including both tax increases and spending cuts in roughly equal measure, with no Republican votes. (Vice President Al Gore had to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.)
In 1997, President Clinton and Gingrich negotiated a deficit reduction bill, but it followed Republican lines: tax cuts and spending cuts. Clinton was willing to go along with the tax cuts because he wanted to make balancing the budget his presidential legacy.
We had major tax cuts in 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2010, each time with at least modest support on both sides of the aisle. Last summer's debt ceiling compromise was the only significant deficit reduction bill in the past fifteen years, and it also followed Republican lines: all spending cuts and no tax increases.
While many observers have focused on the rise of evangelical Protestants and so-called social issues, the Republican Party was really captured by anti-tax zealots.
As Speaker of the House in the 1990s, Gingrich changed caucus rules to reward ideological purity and the ability to raise money, which increased the influence of deep-pocketed contributors who care primarily about maximizing their take-home income.
The Tea Party has only reinforced the prohibition on Republicans who are willing to even consider tax increases.
Which brings us to today.
No plan to reduce the national debt that includes tax increases ...
http://www.theatlantic.com/business...killed-deficit-reduction-for-the-year/255324/
